WEDN Learn and Lead 2026
Smart Tools & Creative Solutions
Thursday, February 26 – Friday, February 27, 2026
Scholarship Opportunities:
SC Power Team (25), NC’s Electric Cooperatives (6), Sanford Holshouser (4), and ECS Southeast (4) are offering scholarships that cover the cost of registration. Click the button to fill out the application. You will be notified within a few business days if a scholarship is awarded and provided a link to register for the event. Do not purchase registration through Eventbrite if you will be applying for one of the scholarships.
Registration
Early Bird Registration $300 ends December 31, 2025
Regular Registration $395 ends February 16, 2026
Venue-New Location!
Grandover Resort & Spa
1000 Club Road, Greensboro, NC 27407
Check-in time for rooms begins at 4:00 pm.
Call Grandover at 336-294-1800
Workshop: Reclaim Your Time: Everyday AI Skills for Impact
Rebecca Macy Akben is an AI literacy consultant and educator who helps leaders and organizations use AI responsibly and effectively. She designs and leads curricula, workshops, and custom GPTs for educators, professionals, and community leaders.
This interactive workshop equips women leaders with practical AI skills they can put into action immediately, without sacrificing privacy or security. In just two hours, participants will:
● Enhance and privacy-proof ChatGPT settings and connections to use AI with confidence.
● Schedule tasks directly to email to streamline priorities, lighten mental load, and stay informed.
● Create project-based folders and workflows to increase efficiency and strengthen collaboration.
Through step-by-step demos and hands-on practice, attendees will leave with tools and strategies they can integrate into their daily routines right away, saving time, reducing stress, and freeing up energy to focus on leadership and impact.
Smart Tools & Creative Solutions
Uptime: A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing
Google’s Executive Productivity Advisor Laura Mae Martin will share her tips on how to say no and set boundaries. Tens of thousands of Google employees, from executives to interns, rely on Laura Mae Martin’s tips and best practices for how to make the most of their time. Laura will share her unique “calm accomplishment” approach to productivity and well-being. Attendees will receive a copy of Martin’s book.
Strengthening the Workforce: Child Care Strategies, Family-Forward Certification, and Talent Attraction
-Tiffany Henry, Economic Development Director, Jackson County, NC
-Cecelia Thompson, Executive Director, Action Greensboro, NC
Transforming Educators, Empowering Students – STEMersion
-Michelle McDonald, Deputy Director, Dorchester County Economic Development
The Industrial Commons: Rooting Wealth in Rural Communities Through Alternative Business Models
-Sara Chester, Co-Founder & Co-Executive Director, The Industrial Commons
Donate
Every year WEDN participants have donated gently used career clothing items to a closet in Winston-Salem, NC. We will be collecting donations this year. Please drop off your donations upon check in at the WEDN registration desk.
Conference Book
The Women’s Economic Development Network and Leadership Forum was started in 2016. The forum is sponsored by Creative EDC as one of the nonprofit things we do to give back to the field of economic development. The Forum invites economic developers to come together to LEARN and return to the office prepared to LEAD. The Forum focuses on leadership development, professional and career development, current topics in economic development, and strategic networking.
Sponsors
